one third of the time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'one third of the time' is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use this phrase when you want to talk about a fraction of a time period, such as hours, days, or weeks. For example: I usually spend one third of the time I have available each day studying.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

The participants using the 3D perspective display performed much better in spotting errors, taking on average about one third of the time of participants observing the 2D display.

Decision Support Systems

It got within 5percentt of the actual price just over one third of the time.

The Washington Post

The supply routes were closed "due to war" for 232 days about one third of the time it took to build the project, according to the main contractor.

The Washington Post

This is due to the fact that the frequency-hopped interference is only active one third of the time.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Between 1941 and 1988, the Dodgers represented the National League in the World Series fully one third of the time.

Huffington Post

Unfortunately, therapeutic anticoagulation is obtained in less than one third of the time.

Core Evidence

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

Solar insolation levels are less important, being significant for less than one third of the time-steps sampled.

Renewable Energy

On average one-third of the time was spent in moving from seat positions to an exit". In other words, people generally seek further information before they act.

The Guardian

Overall, the eyewitnesses fingered the suspect about one-third of the time, positively identified one of the five innocent people used to fill up the photo lineup one-third of the time, or decided that the perpetrator was not in the lineup at all one-third of the time.

Science Magazine

The study found that top tethers on forward-facing car seats were being used less than one-third of the time a baby or child was in position.

The New York Times

Armstrong, on the other hand, saw such matches only a little more than one-third of the time.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "one third of the time", ensure the context clearly defines what 'the time' refers to (e.g., a day, a project duration, a series of trials). This avoids ambiguity and ensures the reader understands the frequency being described.

Common error

Don't underestimate the significance of "one third of the time". While it's not a majority, it represents a substantial portion, and over a longer duration, these occurrences can have a significant impact. Always consider the overall context when interpreting this frequency.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "one third of the time" functions as an adverbial phrase of frequency, modifying a verb or clause to indicate how often an action or event occurs. Ludwig examples demonstrate its use in quantifying recurrence, as illustrated in the provided snippets.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

32%

Wiki

2%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "one third of the time" is a grammatically correct and commonly used adverbial phrase indicating that something occurs approximately 33% of the time. As Ludwig AI indicates, this phrase is used to quantify the frequency of an event. It is versatile and appears in various contexts, especially in News & Media and Science. To ensure clarity, specify what "the time" refers to. While it is not a majority, "one third of the time" should not be underestimated, as it represents a substantial proportion. Related phrases, like "a third of the time", offer slight variations in expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a third of the time

Slightly shorter and equally common, simply omitting the word 'one'.

approximately 33 percent of the time

Uses percentage to express the same proportion.

around a third of the time

Adds a degree of approximation or estimation.

about one third of the time

Uses 'about' to indicate an approximate value.

roughly a third of the time

Similar to 'around', indicating an estimated proportion.

in a third of the instances

Replaces 'time' with 'instances', focusing on specific occurrences.

33% of the time

Expresses the proportion directly as a percentage with a symbol.

once in every three times

Focuses on the recurrence of an event within a set of three attempts.

on approximately 33% of occasions

More formal, using 'occasions' and 'approximately'.

a fraction over thirty percent of the time

Provides a more detailed description using a numerical value.

FAQs

How can I use "one third of the time" in a sentence?

You can use "one third of the time" to indicate the frequency of an event. For example, "The bus arrives late "one third of the time"." This means the bus is late in approximately 33% of its scheduled arrivals.

What can I say instead of "one third of the time"?

You can use alternatives like "approximately 33 percent of the time", "around a third of the time", or "about one third of the time" depending on the context.

Is it more formal to say "one third of the time" or "33 percent of the time"?

While both are acceptable, "33 percent of the time" might be perceived as slightly more precise and suitable for technical or statistical contexts. "One third of the time" is generally acceptable in most contexts and feels more conversational.

What's the difference between "one third of the time" and "two thirds of the time"?

"One third of the time" indicates that an event occurs approximately 33% of the time, while "two thirds of the time" indicates it occurs approximately 66% of the time. They represent different proportions of occurrence.